Central College is adding a self-designed studies minor in data science beginning Fall 2020, the result of a growing interest in the field from both faculty and students.
Students will get a glimpse into the back-end coding creation of applications such as Alexa and Siri, as well as the applied side. The minor provides students the opportunity to learn how to analyze and visualize the data they are most interested in. Course topics include Introduction to Computer Science, Calculus I, Applied Statistics and Data Visualization.
“We believe the minor will open the door to many career and graduate opportunities. Every field, every area is being impacted by data science. Whatever students are interested in, if they acquire some of these skills, then they can start participating in the kinds of work being done,” says Mark Johnson, Ruth and Marvin Denekas Endowed Chair in Science and Humanities and professor of mathematics and computer science at Central.
Adds Brian Peterson, associate dean for curriculum and faculty development: “This is an opportunity to leverage the strengths we currently have in mathematics and computer science to think about ways we can provide students with something they had an interest in studying.”
Students in the Class of 2022 and later will be able to take advantage of the new minor. Two new courses for the minor will be available in Spring and Fall 2021.
The goal is for data science to eventually become a major.
